Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and method for producing device

ABSTRACT

A liquid immersion exposure apparatus in which a substrate is exposed with an exposure beam, includes a projection optical system by which the substrate is exposed to the exposure beam, a first inlet disposed at a first position, which is capable of supplying a first liquid to a space adjacent to a bottom surface of the projection optical system, and a second inlet disposed at a second position which is different from the first position, the second inlet being capable of supplying a second liquid that is different from the first liquid to the space.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a Division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/283,724 filed Nov. 22, 2005 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,495,744,which in turn is a Continuation of International Application No.PCT/JP2004/007415 filed May 24, 2004 claiming the conventional priorityof Japanese patent Application No. 2003-146424 filed on May 23, 2003.The disclosure of each of these prior applications is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an exposure method, an exposureapparatus, and a method for producing a device in which a substrate isexposed by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate via aprojection optical system and a liquid.

2. Description of the Related Art

Semiconductor devices and liquid crystal display devices are produced bymeans of the so-called photolithography technique in which a patternformed on a mask is transferred onto a photosensitive substrate. Theexposure apparatus, which is used in the photolithography step, includesa mask stage for supporting the mask and a substrate stage forsupporting the substrate. The pattern on the mask is transferred ontothe substrate via a projection optical system while successively movingthe mask stage and the substrate stage. In recent years, it is demandedto realize the higher resolution of the projection optical system inorder to respond to the further advance of the higher integration of thedevice pattern. As the exposure wavelength to be used is shorter, theresolution of the projection optical system becomes higher. As thenumerical aperture of the projection optical system is larger, theresolution of the projection optical system becomes higher. Therefore,the exposure wavelength, which is used for the exposure apparatus, isshortened year by year, and the numerical aperture of the projectionoptical system is increased as well. The exposure wavelength, which isdominantly used at present, is 248 nm of the KrF excimer laser. However,the exposure wavelength of 193 nm of the ArF excimer laser, which isshorter than the above, is also practically used in some situations.When the exposure is performed, the depth of focus (DOF) is alsoimportant in the same manner as the resolution. The resolution R and thedepth of focus δ are represented by the following expressionsrespectively.R=k ₁ ·λ/NA  (1)δ=±k ₂ λ/NA ²  (2)

In the expressions, λ represents the exposure wavelength, NA representsthe numerical aperture of the projection optical system, and k₁ and k₂represent the process coefficients. According to the expressions (1) and(2), the following fact is appreciated. That is, when the exposurewavelength λ is shortened and the numerical aperture NA is increased inorder to enhance the resolution R, then the depth of focus δ isnarrowed.

If the depth of focus δ is too narrowed, it is difficult to match thesubstrate surface with respect to the image plane of the projectionoptical system. It is feared that the margin is insufficient during theexposure operation. Accordingly, the liquid immersion method has beensuggested, which is disclosed, for example, in International PublicationNo. 99/49504 as a method for substantially shortening the exposurewavelength and widening the depth of focus. In this liquid immersionmethod, the space between the lower surface of the projection opticalsystem and the substrate surface is filled with a liquid such as wateror any organic solvent so that the resolution is improved and the depthof focus is magnified about n times by utilizing the fact that thewavelength of the exposure light beam in the liquid is 1/n as comparedwith that in the air (n represents the refractive index of the liquid,which is about 1.2 to 1.6 in ordinary cases).

Usually, a variety of materials are used for films including, forexample, the photoresist layer which is provided on the substrate as theexposure objective and the top coat layer which is provided as the upperlayer formed thereon, wherein the film serves as the contact surfacewith respect to liquid of the liquid immersion area to be formed in theliquid immersion exposure. When the type of the film is changed, theaffinity for the liquid for the liquid immersion exposure is changed. Inthe case of the liquid immersion exposure, the operation for supplyingthe liquid onto the substrate and the operation for recovering theliquid from the surface of the substrate are performed. When theaffinity of the liquid for the film is changed, there is such apossibility that the liquid recovery operation and the liquid supplyoperation cannot be performed smoothly. In such a situation, theversatility of the liquid immersion exposure apparatus is conspicuouslydeteriorated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made taking the foregoing circumstancesinto consideration, an object of which is to provide an exposure method,an exposure apparatus, and a method for producing a device wherein theliquid immersion exposure can be performed smoothly for substrates eachof which is provided with a film of any different type. In particular,an object of the present invention is to provide an exposure method, anexposure apparatus, and a method for producing a device wherein theliquid immersion exposure can be realized under a liquid immersioncondition optimized for any one of a variety of films formed onsubstrates.

In order to achieve the objects as described above, the presentinvention adopts the following constructions.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure method for exposing a substrate by projecting an image of apattern onto the substrate through a liquid; the exposure methodcomprising determining a liquid immersion condition for the substratedepending on a film formed as a liquid contact surface of the substrate;and exposing the substrate under the determined liquid immersioncondition.

According to the present invention, the liquid immersion condition,under which the substrate is exposed through the liquid, is determineddepending on the film formed as the liquid contact surface of thesubstrate, specifically a photoresist layer or a top coat layer formedas the upper layer thereof. When a plurality of substrates, on which thefilms of the different types are provided respectively, are subjected tothe liquid immersion exposure, each of the substrates can be subjectedto the exposure under the determined optimum liquid immersion condition.In this specification, the term “liquid immersion condition” means thecondition for forming the liquid immersion area on the substrate whenthe substrate is exposed through the liquid, which is the concept thatincludes, for example, the condition for supplying the liquid onto thesubstrate, the condition for recovering the liquid from the surface ofthe substrate, and the type of the liquid to be supplied onto thesubstrate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an imageof a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid, the exposure apparatuscomprising: a projection optical system which projects the image of thepattern onto the substrate; and a liquid supply mechanism which suppliesthe liquid; wherein the liquid supply mechanism changes the liquid to besupplied, depending on a film formed as a liquid contact surface of thesubstrate.

According to the exposure apparatus of the present invention, theliquid, which is to be used for the liquid immersion exposure, ischanged depending on the film formed as the liquid contact surface ofthe substrate. Accordingly, the liquid immersion exposure can beperformed under the satisfactory liquid immersion condition for each ofa plurality of substrates on which the films of the different types areprovided respectively.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an imageof a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid, the exposure apparatuscomprising: a projection optical system which projects the image of thepattern onto the substrate; and a measuring unit which measures anaffinity between the liquid and a film formed as a liquid contactsurface of the substrate.

According to the present invention, the measuring unit is provided,which measures the affinity between the liquid for the liquid immersionexposure and the film formed as the liquid contact surface of thesubstrate. Accordingly, the optimum liquid immersion condition can bedetermined on the basis of the result of the measurement. Therefore,even when the liquid immersion exposure is performed for each of aplurality of substrates on which the films of the different types areprovided respectively, the respective substrates can be smoothlysubjected to the exposure process under the satisfactory liquidimmersion conditions.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an imageof a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid, the exposure apparatuscomprising: a projection optical system which projects the image of thepattern onto the substrate; and a storage unit which stores a pluralityof relationships between an affinity for the liquid and a liquidimmersion condition corresponding to the affinity; wherein the liquidimmersion condition is selected from the storage unit depending on afilm formed as a liquid contact surface of the substrate.

According to the present invention, the relationship between theaffinity of the film for the liquid and the liquid immersion conditioncorresponding thereto is previously stored in the storage unit.Accordingly, the optimum liquid immersion condition can be selected anddetermined depending on the information about the film to be exposed.Therefore, even when the liquid immersion exposure is performed for eachof a plurality of substrates on which the films of the different typesare provided respectively, the respective substrates can be smoothlysubjected to the exposure process under the satisfactory liquidimmersion conditions.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an imageof a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid, the exposure apparatuscomprising: a projection optical system which projects the image of thepattern onto the substrate; and a storage unit which storesrelationships between a variety of films formable as a liquid contactsurface of the substrate and liquid immersion conditions suitable forthe respective films. According to this exposure apparatus, the storageunit stores the films and the liquid immersion conditions optimized forthe respective films. Accordingly, when the film is determined, it ispossible to instantaneously select, from the storage unit, the optimumliquid immersion condition including, for example, the condition forsupplying the liquid onto the substrate, the condition for recoveringthe liquid from the surface of the substrate, and the type of the liquidto be supplied onto the substrate. Therefore, even when the exposureobjective is changed and/or the film is changed upon the liquidimmersion exposure, then it is possible to make response quickly underthe optimum liquid immersion condition. The exposure apparatus mayfurther comprise a control unit which sets a liquid immersion conditionby selecting the liquid immersion condition among the liquid immersionconditions from the storage unit depending on a film to be used forliquid immersion exposure. Accordingly, it is possible to automaticallyperform the optimum liquid immersion exposure.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an imageof a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid, the exposure apparatuscomprising: a projection optical system which projects the image of thepattern onto the substrate; and a liquid supply mechanism which has asupply port for supplying the liquid; wherein at least one of a size anda shape of the supply port is changeable. According to this exposureapparatus, at least one of the size and the shape of the supply port ischangeable. Therefore, for example, even when the exposure objective ischanged and/or the film is changed upon the liquid immersion exposure,then it is possible to make response quickly under the optimum liquidimmersion condition.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projectingan image of a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid, the exposureapparatus comprising: a projection optical system which projects theimage of the pattern onto the substrate; and a liquid recovery mechanismwhich has a recovery port for recovering the liquid; wherein at leastone of a size and a shape of the recovery port is changeable. Accordingto this exposure apparatus, at least one of the size and the shape ofthe recovery port is changeable. Therefore, for example, even when theexposure objective is changed and/or the film is changed upon the liquidimmersion exposure, then it is possible to make response quickly underthe optimum liquid immersion condition.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method for producing a device, comprising using the exposuremethod as defined in the aspect described above. According to a ninthaspect of the present invention, there is provided a method forproducing a device, comprising using the exposure apparatus as definedin any one of the aspects described above. According to the presentinvention, the pattern can be transferred at a high pattern transferaccuracy under the satisfactory liquid immersion condition for a varietyof types of substrates. It is possible to provide the device capable ofexhibiting desired performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic arrangement illustrating an embodiment of theexposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view illustrating an exemplary arrangement of aliquid supply mechanism and a liquid recovery mechanism in theembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3A to 3D show sectional views illustrating an embodiment of asupply member and a recovery member.

FIGS. 4A and 4B schematically illustrate the situation in which theliquid supply positions and the liquid recovery positions are changed.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram illustrating an exemplary control systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show a schematic arrangement illustrating an embodimentof a measuring unit.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show sectional views illustrating an embodiment of thesupply member and the recovery member.

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps of producing asemiconductor device according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

An explanation will be made below about the exposure apparatus accordingto the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, thepresent invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic arrangement illustrating an embodiment of theexposure apparatus of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1,an exposure apparatus EX includes a mask stage MST which supports a mask(reticle) M, a substrate stage PST which supports a substrate P, anillumination optical system IL which illuminates, with an exposure lightbeam EL, the mask M supported by the mask stage MST, a projectionoptical system PL which performs projection exposure for the substrate Psupported by the substrate stage PST with an image of a pattern of themask M illuminated with the exposure light beam EL, a control unit CONTwhich collectively controls the overall operation of the exposureapparatus EX, and a storage unit MRY which is connected to the controlunit CONT and which stores various pieces of information about theexposure operation.

The exposure apparatus EX of this embodiment is a liquid immersionexposure apparatus to which the liquid immersion method is applied inorder that the exposure wavelength is substantially shortened to improvethe resolution and the depth of focus is substantially widened. Theexposure apparatus EX includes a liquid supply mechanism 10 whichsupplies the liquid 1 onto the substrate P, and a liquid recoverymechanism 30 which recovers the liquid 1 from the surface of thesubstrate P. The exposure apparatus EX forms a liquid immersion area AR2on at least a part of the substrate P including a projection area AR1 ofthe projection optical system PL by the liquid 1 supplied from theliquid supply mechanism 10 at least during the period in which thepattern image of the mask M is transferred onto the substrate P.Specifically, the exposure apparatus EX is operated as follows. That is,the space between the surface (exposure surface) of the substrate P andthe optical element 2 disposed at the end portion of the projectionoptical system PL is filled with the liquid 1. The pattern image of themask M is projected onto the substrate P to expose the substrate Ptherewith via the projection optical system PL and the liquid 1 disposedbetween the projection optical system PL and the substrate P.

The embodiment of the present invention will now be explained asexemplified by a case of the use of the scanning type exposure apparatus(so-called scanning stepper) as the exposure apparatus EX in which thesubstrate P is exposed with the pattern formed on the mask M whilesynchronously moving the mask M and the substrate P in mutuallydifferent directions (opposite directions) in the scanning directions(predetermined directions). In the following explanation, the X axisdirection is the synchronous movement direction (scanning direction,predetermined direction) for the mask M and the substrate P in thehorizontal plane, the Y axis direction (non-scanning direction) is thedirection which is perpendicular to the X axis direction in thehorizontal plane, and the Z axis direction is the direction which isperpendicular to the X axis direction and the Y axis direction and whichis coincident with the optical axis AX of the projection optical systemPL. The directions about the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis aredesignated as θX, θY, and θZ directions respectively.

The substrate P is provided with a film SP which is formed on the basematerial for the device (semiconductor wafer or glass substrate) andwhich is composed of a photoresist layer or a top coat layer (protectivelayer) provided as an upper layer of the photoresist layer. Therefore,the film SP, which is provided at the uppermost layer of the substrateP, forms the liquid contact surface which makes contact with the liquid1 during the liquid immersion exposure. For example, P6111 produced byTOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD. is used as the photoresist layer. Forexample, TSP-3A produced by TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD. is used as thetop coat layer. The liquid immersion condition is determined dependingon the material characteristics of the films as described above,especially depending on the contact angle or the wettability withrespect to the liquid to be used.

The illumination optical system IL is used so that the mask M, which issupported on the mask stage MST, is illuminated with the exposure lightbeam EL. The illumination optical system IL includes, for example, anexposure light source, an optical integrator which uniformizes theilluminance of the light flux radiated from the exposure light source, acondenser lens which collects the exposure light beam EL supplied fromthe optical integrator, a relay lens system, and a variable fielddiaphragm which sets the illumination area IA on the mask M illuminatedwith the exposure light beam EL to be slit-shaped. The predeterminedillumination area IA on the mask M is illuminated with the exposurelight beam EL having a uniform illuminance distribution by theillumination optical system IL. Those usable as the exposure light beamEL radiated from the illumination optical system IL include, forexample, emission lines (g-ray, h-ray, i-ray) in the ultraviolet regionradiated, for example, from a mercury lamp, far ultraviolet light beams(DUV light beams) such as the KrF excimer laser beam (wavelength: 248nm), and vacuum ultraviolet light beams (VUV light beams) such as theArF excimer laser beam (wavelength: 193 nm) and the F₂ laser beam(wavelength: 157 nm). In this embodiment, the ArF excimer laser beam isused.

The mask stage MST supports the mask M. The mask stage MST istwo-dimensionally movable in the plane perpendicular to the optical axisAX of the projection optical system PL, i.e., in the XY plane, and it isfinely rotatable in the OZ direction. The mask stage MST is driven by amask stage-driving unit MSTD such as a linear motor. The maskstage-driving unit MSTD is controlled by the control unit CONT. Amovement mirror 50 is provided on the mask stage MST. A laserinterferometer 51 is provided at a position opposed to the movementmirror 50. The position in the two-dimensional direction and the angleof rotation of the mask M on the mask stage MST are measured inreal-time by the laser interferometer 51. The result of the measurementis outputted to the control unit CONT. The control unit CONT drives themask stage-driving unit MSTD on the basis of the result of themeasurement obtained by the laser interferometer 51 to thereby positionthe mask M supported on the mask stage MST.

The projection optical system PL projects the pattern on the mask M ontothe substrate P at a predetermined projection magnification β to performthe exposure. The projection optical system PL includes a plurality ofoptical elements including the optical element (lens) 2 provided at theend portion on the side of the substrate P. The optical elements aresupported by a barrel PK. The projection optical system PL is providedwith an image formation characteristic control unit 3 which is capableof adjusting the image formation characteristic (optical characteristic)of the projection optical system PL. The image formation characteristiccontrol unit 3 includes an optical element-driving mechanism which iscapable of moving a part of the plurality of optical elements forconstructing the projection optical system PL, and a pressure-adjustingmechanism which adjusts the pressure of the specified space among thespaces between the plurality of optical elements in the barrel PK. Theoptical element-driving mechanism moves, in the direction of the opticalaxis AX, the specified optical element included in the plurality ofoptical elements for constructing the projection optical system PL, andthe optical element-driving mechanism inclines the optical element withrespect to the optical axis AX. The image formation characteristiccontrol unit 3 is controlled by the control unit CONT. The control unitCONT is capable of adjusting the image plane position and the projectionmagnification of the projection optical system PL by the aid of theimage formation characteristic control unit 3.

In this embodiment, the projection optical system PL is based on thereduction system having the projection magnification β which is, forexample, ¼ or ⅕. The projection optical system PL may be any one of the1× magnification system and the magnifying system. The optical element2, which is disposed at the end portion of the projection optical systemPL of this embodiment, is provided detachably (exchangeably) withrespect to the barrel PK. The optical element 2, which is disposed atthe end portion, is exposed from the barrel PK. The liquid 1 in theliquid immersion area AR2 makes contact with the optical element 2.Accordingly, the barrel PK formed of metal can be prevented from anycorrosion or the like.

The exposure apparatus EX further includes a focus-detecting system 4.The focus-detecting system 4 has a light-emitting section 4 a and alight-receiving section 4 b. The detecting light beam is projected in anoblique direction onto the surface (exposure surface) of the substrate Pvia the liquid 1 from the light-emitting section 4 a. The reflectedlight beam therefrom is received by the light-receiving section 4 b. Thecontrol unit CONT controls the operation of the focus-detecting system4. Further, the position (focus position) in the Z axis direction of thesurface of the substrate P with respect to a predetermined referencesurface is detected on the basis of a light-receiving result obtained bythe light-receiving section 4 b. Respective focus positions at aplurality of respective points on the surface of the substrate P aredetermined by using the focus-detecting system 4. Accordingly, it isalso possible to detect the posture of the substrate P in an inclineddirection.

The substrate stage PST supports the substrate P. The substrate stagePST includes a Z stage 52 which holds the substrate P by the aid of asubstrate holder, an XY stage 53 which supports the Z stage 52, and abase 54 which supports the XY stage 53. The substrate stage PST isdriven by a substrate stage-driving unit PSTD such as a linear motor.The substrate stage-driving unit PSTD is controlled by the control unitCONT. It goes without saying that the Z stage and the XY stage may beprovided as an integrated body. When the XY stage 53 of the substratestage PST is driven, the substrate P is subjected to the control of theposition in the XY directions (position in the direction substantiallyparallel to the image plane of the projection optical system PL).

A movement mirror 55, which is movable together with the substrate stagePST with respect to the projection optical system PL, is provided on thesubstrate stage PST (Z stage 52). A laser interferometer 56 is providedat a position opposed to the movement mirror 55. The angle of rotationand the position in the two-dimensional direction of the substrate P onthe substrate stage PST are measured in real-time by the laserinterferometer 56. The result of the measurement is outputted to thecontrol unit CONT. The control unit CONT drives the XY stage 53 by theaid of the substrate stage-driving unit PSTD on the basis of the resultof the measurement of the laser interferometer 56 to thereby positionthe substrate P supported on the substrate stage PST in the X axisdirection and the Y axis direction.

The control unit CONT drives the Z stage 52 of the substrate stage PSTby the aid of the substrate stage-driving unit PSTD. Accordingly, thecontrol unit CONT controls the position (focus position) in the Z axisdirection of the substrate P held by the Z stage 52 and the position inthe θx direction and the θY direction. That is, the Z stage 52 isoperated on the basis of the instruction from the control unit CONTbased on the result of the detection performed by the focus-detectingsystem 4. The focus position (Z position) and the angle of inclinationof the substrate P are controlled so that the surface (exposure surface)of the substrate P is allowed to coincide with the image plane formedvia the projection optical system PL and the liquid 1.

An auxiliary plate 57 having a flat surface is provided on the substratestage PST (Z stage 52) so that the substrate P is surrounded thereby.The auxiliary plate 57 is provided so that the surface has approximatelythe same height as that of the surface of the substrate P held by thesubstrate holder. In this arrangement, a gap of about 1 to 2 mm isformed between the auxiliary plate 57 and the edge of the substrate P.However, the liquid 1 scarcely flows into the gap owing to the surfacetension of the liquid 1. Even when the vicinity of the circumferentialedge of the substrate P is subjected to the exposure, the liquid 1 canbe retained under the projection optical system PL by the aid of theauxiliary plate 57.

The liquid supply mechanism 10 supplies the liquid 1 for the liquidimmersion exposure onto the substrate P. The liquid supply mechanism 10is capable of supplying a plurality of types of liquids 1. In thisembodiment, the liquid supply mechanism 10 is capable of supplying twotypes of liquids 1, i.e., pure water as a first liquid andfluorine-based oil (fluorine-based fluid) as a second liquid. The liquidsupply mechanism 10 includes a first liquid supply section 11 and asecond liquid supply section 12 which are capable of feeding the firstliquid (pure water), a third liquid supply section 21 and a fourthliquid supply section 22 which are capable of feeding the second liquid(fluorine-based oil), a first piping system 15 which is connected to thefirst liquid supply section 11 and the third liquid supply section 21,which selects any one of the first liquid (pure water) and the secondliquid (fluorine-based oil), and which supplies the selected liquid 1onto the substrate P, and a second piping system 16 which is connectedto the second liquid supply section 12 and the fourth liquid supplysection 22, which selects any one of the first liquid (pure water) andthe second liquid (fluorine-based oil), and which supplies the selectedliquid 1 onto the substrate P.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view illustrating a schematic arrangement of theliquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery mechanism 30. Asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first piping system 15 is provided with asupply tube 19 through which the liquid 1 flows, the liquid 1 being fedfrom any one of the first liquid supply section 11 and the third liquidsupply section 21. One end of the supply tube 19 is connected to thefirst liquid supply section 11 and the third liquid supply section 21via tubes 17, 18 respectively. On the other hand, the other end of thesupply tube 19 is connected to a plurality of first supply members 13via a plurality of branch tubes 13B respectively. The plurality of firstsupply members 13 are arranged while being aligned in the Y axisdirection. Supply ports 13A of the first supply members 13 are arrangedclosely to the surface of the substrate P while being directed thereto.In this embodiment, five of the first supply members 13 are arranged inan aligned manner. The first supply members 13 are provided on one side(−X side) in the scanning direction with respect to the projection areaAR1 of the projection optical system PL designed to be slit-shaped(rectangular) in which the Y axis direction (non-scanning direction) isthe longitudinal direction.

The tubes 17, 18 are provided with valves 17A, 18A respectively. Theoperation of the valves 17A, 18A is controlled by the control unit CONT.The control unit CONT opens the tube 17 and closes the tube 18 by usingthe valves 17A, 18A to drive the first liquid supply section 11.Accordingly, the first liquid (pure water) is supplied from the firstliquid supply section 11 via the tube 17, the supply tube 19, the firstsupply member 13, and the supply port 13A onto the substrate P. On theother hand, the control unit CONT opens the tube 18 and closes the tube17 by using the valves 17A, 18A to drive the third liquid supply section21. Accordingly, the second liquid (fluorine-based oil) is supplied fromthe third liquid supply section 21 via the tube 18, the supply tube 19,the first supply member 13, and the supply port 13A onto the substrateP.

The second piping system 16 is provided with a supply tube 25 throughwhich the liquid 1 flows, the liquid 1 being fed from any one of thesecond liquid supply section 12 and the fourth liquid supply section 22.One end of the supply tube 25 is connected to the second liquid supplysection 12 and the fourth liquid supply section 22 via tubes 23, 24respectively. On the other hand, the other end of the supply tube 25 isconnected to a plurality of second supply members 14 via a plurality ofbranch tubes 14B respectively. The plurality of second supply members 14are arranged while being aligned in the Y axis direction. Supply ports14A of the second supply members 14 are arranged closely to the surfaceof the substrate P. In the same manner as the first supply member 13,five of the second supply members 14 are arranged in an aligned manner.The second supply members 14 are provided on the other side (+X side) inthe scanning direction with respect to the projection area AR1.

The tubes 23, 24 are provided with valves 23A, 24A respectively. Theoperation of the valves 23A, 24A is controlled by the control unit CONT.The control unit CONT opens the tube 23 and closes the tube 24 by usingthe valves 23A, 24A to drive the second liquid supply section 12.Accordingly, the first liquid (pure water) is supplied from the secondliquid supply section 12 via the tube 23, the supply tube 25, the secondsupply member 14, and the supply port 14A onto the substrate P. On theother hand, the control unit CONT opens the tube 24 and closes the tube23 by using the valves 23A, 24A to drive the fourth liquid supplysection 22. Accordingly, the second liquid (fluorine-based oil) issupplied from the fourth liquid supply section 22 via the tube 24, thesupply tube 25, the second supply member 14, and the supply port 14Aonto the substrate P.

Each of the first to fourth liquid supply sections 11, 12, 21, 22includes, for example, a tank for accommodating the liquid 1, and apressurizing pump. The operation of each of the first to fourth liquidsupply sections 11, 12, 21, 22 for supplying the liquid is controlled bythe control unit CONT. The control unit CONT is capable of independentlycontrolling the liquid supply amounts per unit time to be supplied ontothe substrate P by the first to fourth liquid supply sections 11, 12,21, 22 respectively. Each of the first to fourth liquid supply sections11, 12, 21, 22 includes a temperature-adjusting mechanism for the liquid1. The liquid 1, which has approximately the same temperature of 23° C.as the temperature in the chamber for accommodating the apparatustherein, can be supplied onto the substrate P.

As described above, the liquid supply mechanism 10 performs the liquidsupply operation in order to selectively use the plurality of (two typesof, in this embodiment) liquids 1 for the liquid immersion exposure byusing the piping systems 15, 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquidimmersion area AR2, which is filled with the liquid 1, is formed on apart of the substrate P so that the liquid immersion area AR2 includesthe projection area AR1. The liquid supply mechanism 10 simultaneouslysupplies the liquid 1 from the both sides of the projection area AR1from the supply ports 13A, 14A of the plurality of first and secondsupply members 13, 14 respectively.

An explanation will be made below about a case in which the liquidsupply mechanism 10 supplies pure water as the liquid 1 for the liquidimmersion exposure. Even when the exposure light beam EL is the ArFexcimer laser, the exposure light beam EL is transmissive through purewater. Further, the emission lines (g-ray, h-ray, i-ray) in theultraviolet region and the far ultraviolet light beam (DUV light beam)such as the KrF excimer laser beam (wavelength: 248 nm) are alsotransmissive through pure water. On the other hand, the optical element2, which is disposed at the end portion of the projection optical systemPL, is formed of fluorite. Fluorite has the high affinity for purewater. Therefore, it is possible to allow the liquid 1 to make tightcontact with the substantially entire surface of the liquid contactsurface 2 a of the optical element 2. In this embodiment, it is alsoallowable to use quartz which has the high affinity for water and withwhich the tight contact performance is enhanced between the liquid 1 andthe liquid contact surface 2 a of the optical element 2, because of thesupply of the liquid (pure water) 1 which has the high affinity for theliquid contact surface 2 a of the optical element 2. A water-attracting(lyophilic or liquid-attracting) treatment may be applied to the liquidcontact surface 2 a of the optical element 2 to further enhance theaffinity for the liquid 1.

The liquid recovery mechanism 30 recovers the liquid 1 from the surfaceof the substrate P. The liquid recovery mechanism 30 includes aplurality of first and second recovery members 31, 32 which haverecovery ports 31A, 32A arranged closely to the surface of the substrateP, and first and second liquid recovery sections 33, 34 which areconnected to the first and second recovery members 31, 32 via recoverytubes 33A, 34A respectively. The recovery tube 33A is connected to therespective first recovery members 31, and the recovery tube 34A is alsoconnected to the respective second recovery members 32. However, theyare partially omitted from the illustration in FIG. 2. The plurality offirst recovery members 31 are arranged in a substantially circulararc-shaped form on the −X side of the projection area AR1. The recoveryports 31A thereof are arranged so that they are directed to the surfaceof the substrate P. On the other hand, the plurality of second recoverymembers 32 are arranged in a substantially circular arc-shaped form onthe +X side of the projection area AR1. The recovery ports 32A thereofare arranged so that they are directed to the surface of the substrateP. The plurality of first and second recovery members 31, 32 arearranged to surround the projection area AR1 and the first and secondsupply members 13, 14 of the liquid supply mechanism 10.

Each of the first and second liquid recovery sections 33, 34 includes,for example, a sucking unit such as a vacuum pump, and a tank foraccommodating the recovered liquid 1. The liquid 1 on the substrate P isrecovered by the aid of the first and second recovery members 31, 32 andthe recovery tubes 33A, 34A. The operation for recovering liquid by thefirst and second liquid recovery sections 33, 34 is controlled by thecontrol unit CONT. The control unit CONT is capable of controlling theliquid recovery amount (recovery power) per unit time to be recovered bythe first and second liquid recovery sections 33, 34. The liquid 1,which is supplied onto the substrate P from the supply ports of thefirst and second supply members 13, 14, is supplied so that the liquid 1is spread while causing the wetting between the substrate P and thelower end surface of the end portion (optical element 2) of theprojection optical system PL. The liquid 1, which outflows to theoutside of the first and second supply members 13, 14 with respect tothe projection area AR1, is recovered by the recovery ports of the firstand second recovery members 31, 32 which are disposed outside the firstand second supply members 13, 14 with respect to the projection areaAR1.

FIGS. 3A to 3D show magnified sectional views illustrating the firstsupply member 13. With reference to FIG. 3A, the first supply member 13includes a main body member 40, a slide member 41 which is slidable inthe X direction with respect to the main body member 40 under the mainbody member 40, and a shutter member 42 which is provided at the supplyport 13A disposed at the lower end of the slide member 41 and which iscapable of changing the size of the supply port 13A by making thesliding movement in the X direction with respect to the slide member 41.The slide member 41 and the shutter member 42 undergo the slidingmovement by an unillustrated driving unit. As shown in FIG. 3B, when theslide member 41 is moved in the +X direction with respect to the mainbody member 40, the position of the supply port 13A is moved toward the+X side. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the slide member41 is moved in the −X direction with respect to the main body member 40,the position of the supply port 13A is moved toward the −X side.Further, as shown in FIG. 3D, when the shutter member 42 is moved towardthe inside of the supply port 13A, the supply port 13A is decreased insize.

The second supply member 14, the first recovery member 31, and thesecond recovery member 32 are constructed equivalently to the firstsupply member 13 respectively. Therefore, the second supply member 14 iscapable of changing the position and the size of the supply port 14A. Itis also allowable that only one of the position and the size ischangeable for the supply ports 13A, 14A. Similarly, the first andsecond recovery members 31, 32 are capable of changing the positions andthe sizes of the recovery ports 31A, 32A respectively. As for therecovery ports 31A, 32A, it is also allowable that only one of theposition and the size thereof is changeable.

FIGS. 4A and 4B schematically show the situation in which the liquidsupply positions of the first and second supply members 13, 14 and theliquid recovery positions of the first and second recovery members 31,32 are changed. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the control unit CONT drivesthe driving units for the first and second supply members 13, 14 and thedriving units for the first and second recovery members 31, 32, then theliquid supply positions for supplying the liquid by the first and secondsupply members 13, 14 are successfully allowed to approach theprojection area AR1 of the projection optical system PL, and the liquidrecovery positions for recovering the liquid by the first and secondrecovery members 31, 32 are successfully separated from the projectionarea AR1. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the control unitCONT drives the driving units for the first and second supply members13, 14 and the driving units for the first and second recovery members31, 32, then the liquid supply positions for supplying the liquid by thefirst and second supply members 13, 14 are successfully separated fromthe projection area AR1, and the liquid recovery positions forrecovering the liquid by the first and second recovery members 31, 32are successfully allowed to approach the projection area AR1. The liquidsupply positions for supplying the liquid by the first and second supplymembers 13, 14 and the liquid recovery positions for recovering theliquid by the first and second recovery members 31, 32 can be adjustedindependently respectively.

Next, an explanation will be made about a method for exposing thesubstrate P by projection with the image of the pattern of the mask Mvia the projection optical system PL and the liquid 1 of the liquidimmersion area AR2 by using the exposure apparatus EX as describedabove.

The exposure apparatus EX of this embodiment performs the projectionexposure for the substrate P with the pattern image of the mask M whilemoving the mask M and the substrate P in the X axis direction (scanningdirection). In the case of the exposure apparatus EX, a part of thepattern image of the mask M corresponding to the illumination area IA isprojected onto the slit-shaped (rectangular) projection area AR1disposed just under the end portion of the projection optical system PL.Further, the mask M is moved at the velocity V in the −X direction (orin the +X direction) with respect to the projection optical system PL,in synchronization with which the substrate P is moved at the velocityβ·V (β represents the projection magnification) in the +X direction (orin the −X direction) by the aid of the XY stage 53. Accordingly, thescanning exposure is performed. A plurality of shot areas areestablished on the substrate P. After the completion of the exposure forone shot area, the next shot area is moved to the scanning startposition in accordance with the stepping movement of the substrate P.After that, the scanning exposure process is successively performed foreach of the shot areas SA while moving the substrate P insynchronization with the step-and-scan system.

As shown in a block diagram of FIG. 5, the storage unit MRY stores theinformation about the liquid immersion condition to perform the liquidimmersion exposure (liquid immersion condition database). Specifically,the storage unit MRY stores, as a plurality of pieces of map data, therelationships between the affinity between the liquid 1 and the film SPformed as the liquid contact surface which makes contact with the liquid1 on the substrate P during the liquid immersion exposure and the liquidimmersion condition corresponding to the affinity. In this embodiment,the information about the affinity between the liquid 1 and the film SPincludes the contact angle information of the liquid 1 with respect tothe film SP. Further, the storage unit MRY previously stores the liquidimmersion exposure condition corresponding to the materialcharacteristic of the liquid 1 (for example, the volatility, theviscosity, the density, and the surface tension). Alternatively, thefollowing procedure is also available as described later on. That is,various films SP and liquid types preferred for the respective films SPare investigated beforehand. The storage unit MRY stores thecombinations of the films SP and the liquid types preferred for therespective films as well as the liquid immersion conditions optimum forthe combinations.

When the liquid immersion exposure process is performed, the filminformation in relation to the substrate P to be subjected to theexposure process is inputted into the control unit CONT via the inputunit 60 connected to the control unit CONT. The film information to beinputted includes the information about the contact angle between thefilm SP and the liquid 1. The control unit CONT makes reference to therelationship (map data) between the affinity (contact angle) between theliquid 1 and the film SP and the liquid immersion conditioncorresponding to the affinity (contact angle) previously stored in thestorage unit MRY to select and determine the optimum liquid immersioncondition for the substrate P to be subjected to the exposure process.

In this embodiment, the liquid immersion condition includes the supplycondition for supplying the liquid 1 for the liquid immersion exposureonto the substrate P. Further, the supply condition for supplying theliquid 1 includes at least one of the condition in relation to theliquid supply position with respect to the substrate P and the conditionin relation to the liquid supply amount per unit time.

Further, the liquid immersion condition includes the recovery conditionfor recovering the liquid 1 for the liquid immersion exposure from thesurface of the substrate P. The recovery condition for recovering theliquid 1 includes at least one of the condition in relation to theliquid recovery position on the substrate P and the condition inrelation to the liquid recovery amount (liquid recovery power) per unittime.

For example, the control unit CONT adjusts the liquid supply amount ofthe liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery amount of theliquid recovery mechanism 30 depending on the contact angle of theliquid 1 with respect to the film SP.

Specifically, when the contact angle of the liquid 1 with respect to thefilm SP is large, the film SP has the liquid repellence (waterrepellence) with respect to the liquid 1. Therefore, when the liquid 1is supplied onto the substrate P (film SP), the liquid 1 is notexcessively spread while causing the wetting. When the liquid 1 issupplied to such a film SP, for example, the liquid supply mechanism 10increases the liquid supply amount per unit time. Accordingly, theliquid 1 can be satisfactorily spread while causing the wetting on thesurface of the substrate P (film SP). It is possible to smoothly formthe liquid immersion area AR2. When the film SP has the liquidrepellence, the liquid 1 is easily exfoliated from the substrate P (filmSP) when the substrate P is subjected to the scanning movement in orderto perform the scanning exposure. However, it is possible to suppressthe occurrence of the exfoliation of the liquid 1 by increasing theliquid supply amount.

When the film SP has the liquid repellence (water repellence) withrespect to the liquid 1, the liquid 1 is not excessively spread whilecausing the wetting. Accordingly, it is relatively easy for the liquidrecovery mechanism 30 to recover the liquid 1 from the surface of thesubstrate P (film SP). Therefore, even when the liquid recoverymechanism 30 undergoes the reduction of the liquid recovery power(driving force of the liquid recovery section), i.e., the liquidrecovery amount per unit time, it is possible to smoothly recover theliquid 1. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of thevibration which would be otherwise caused by the driving of the liquidrecovery section.

On the other hand, when the contact angle of the liquid 1 with respectto the film SP is small, the film SP has the lyophilicity orliquid-attracting property (hydrophilicity) with respect to the liquid1. Therefore, when the liquid 1 is supplied onto the substrate P (filmSP), the liquid 1 is spread while causing the wetting with ease.Therefore, when the liquid 1 is supplied to such a film SP, for example,the liquid supply mechanism 10 makes it possible to satisfactorilyspread the liquid 1 while causing the wetting on the surface of thesubstrate P (film SP), even when the liquid supply amount per unit timeis decreased. Thus, it is possible to smoothly form the liquid immersionarea AR2. Further, it is possible to suppress any waste of the liquid 1,and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the vibration whichwould be otherwise caused by the driving of the liquid supply section,because the liquid supply amount can be reduced for the liquid 1.

When the film SP has the lyophilicity (hydrophilicity) with respect tothe liquid 1, the liquid 1 is spread while causing the wetting on thesubstrate P (film SP) with ease. For this reason, there is such apossibility that the liquid 1 may be hardly recovered from the surfaceof the substrate P (film SP) by the liquid recovery mechanism 30.Therefore, the liquid recovery mechanism 30 increases the liquidrecovery force (driving force of the liquid recovery section), i.e., theliquid recovery amount per unit time. Accordingly, it is possible forthe liquid recovery mechanism 30 to smoothly recover the liquid 1.

The control unit CONT is capable of adjusting the liquid supply positionof the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery position ofthe liquid recovery mechanism 30 depending on the contact angle of theliquid 1 with respect to the film SP.

For example, when the contact angle of the liquid 1 with respect to thefilm SP is large, the film SP has the liquid repellence (waterrepellence) with respect to the liquid 1. Therefore, when the liquid 1is supplied onto the substrate P (film SP), the liquid 1 is hardlyspread while causing the wetting. Therefore, when the substrate P ismoved with respect to the liquid 1 in order to perform the scanningexposure, there is such a possibility that the liquid 1 may be easilyexfoliated from the substrate P (film SP). When the liquid supplyposition, at which the liquid 1 is supplied by the liquid supplymechanism 10, is set at the position far from the projection area AR1 ofthe projection optical system PL, i.e., when the distance at the liquidsupply position from the projection area AR1 of the projection opticalsystem PL is made long so that the liquid immersion area AR2 is formedto be large, then it is possible to suppress the occurrence of theexfoliation of the liquid 1 when the substrate P is subjected to thescanning movement. As explained with reference to FIG. 3, the liquidsupply position may be adjusted such that the slide member 41 issubjected to the sliding movement with respect to the main body member40 of the supply member 13, 14.

When the liquid 1 has the liquid repellence (water repellence) withrespect to the film SP, the liquid 1 is not excessively spread whilecausing the wetting. Accordingly, as described above, it is relativelyeasy for the liquid recovery mechanism 30 to recover the liquid 1 fromthe surface of the substrate P (film SP). Therefore, even when theliquid recovery position is set at the position near to the projectionarea AR1 of the projection optical system PL, i.e., even when thedistance at the liquid recovery position from the projection area AR1 ofthe projection optical system PL is shortened, then the liquid recoverymechanism 30 can smoothly recover the liquid 1. Therefore, it ispossible to decrease the space occupied by the liquid recovery mechanism30.

On the other hand, when the contact angle of the liquid 1 with respectto the film SP is small, the film SP has the lyophilicity(hydrophilicity) with respect to the liquid 1. Therefore, when theliquid 1 is supplied onto the substrate P (film SP), the liquid 1 isspread while causing the wetting with ease. Therefore, when the liquid 1is supplied to such a film SP, the liquid supply position, at which theliquid 1 is supplied by the liquid supply mechanism 10, is set at theposition near to the projection area AR1 of the projection opticalsystem PL, i.e., the distance at the liquid supply position from theprojection area AR1 of the projection optical system PL is shortened.Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the liquid 1 tothe outside.

When the liquid 1 has the lyophilicity (hydrophilicity) with respect tothe film SP, the liquid 1 is spread while causing the wetting on thesubstrate P (film SP) with ease. Therefore, there is such a possibilitythat the liquid 1 may be hardly recovered from the surface of thesubstrate P (film SP) by the liquid recovery mechanism 30. When theliquid recovery position, at which the liquid 1 is recovered by theliquid recovery mechanism 30, is set at the position far from theprojection area AR1 of the projection optical system PL, i.e., when thedistance at the liquid recovery position from the projection area AR1 ofthe projection optical system PL is made long, then the liquid recoverymechanism 30 can smoothly recover the liquid 1. In other words, when theliquid 1 is easily spread while causing the wetting, the liquid isrecovered at the position far from the liquid supply position.Accordingly, the liquid 1 can be recovered in a state in which the forceof the flow of the supplied liquid 1 is reduced. Therefore, when theliquid 1, which has the lyophilicity with respect to the film SP, isrecovered, it is preferable to set the liquid recovery position at theposition far from the liquid supply position, i.e., the position farfrom the projection area AR1.

The control unit CONT is capable of adjusting the sizes of the liquidsupply ports 13A, 14A of the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the sizes ofthe liquid recovery ports 31A, 32A of the liquid recovery mechanism 30depending on the contact angle of the liquid 1 with respect to the filmSP.

For example, when the contact angle of the liquid 1 with respect to thefilm SP is large, the film SP has the liquid repellence (waterrepellence) with respect to the liquid 1. Therefore, the liquid 1 iseasily exfoliated from the substrate P. In this case, the force of theflow of the liquid 1 to be supplied onto the substrate P is increased bydecreasing the sizes of the liquid supply ports 13A, 14A. Accordingly,it is possible to suppress the exfoliation. As explained with referenceto FIG. 3, when the size of the liquid supply port is adjusted, it isappropriate to move the shutter member 42 of the supply member 13, 14.

When the liquid 1 has the liquid repellence (water repellence) withrespect to the film SP, it is relatively easy to recover the liquid 1from the surface of the substrate P (film SP) by using the liquidrecovery mechanism 30 as described above. In this case, the liquidrecovery ports 31A, 32A of the liquid recovery mechanism 30 can bedecreased in size. When the liquid recovery ports 31A, 32A are decreasedin size, the air is hardly caught and sucked (mixed in the liquid) whenthe liquid 1 is recovered. Therefore, the liquid recovery mechanism 30can smoothly recover the liquid 1 from the surface of the substrate P.

On the other hand, when the contact angle of the liquid 1 with respectto the film SP is small, the film SP has the lyophilicity(hydrophilicity) with respect to the liquid 1. Therefore, even when theliquid 1 is supplied onto the substrate P while increasing the sizes ofthe liquid supply ports 13A, 14A, it is possible to smoothly form theliquid immersion area AR2.

When the liquid 1 has the lyophilicity (hydrophilicity) with respect tothe film SP, the liquid 1 is spread while causing the wetting with easeon the substrate P (film SP). Therefore, there is such a possibilitythat the liquid 1 may be hard to recover from the surface of thesubstrate P (film SP) by the liquid recovery mechanism 30. Accordingly,when the liquid supply ports 31A, 32A are increased in size to recoverthe liquid 1 over a wide range, it is possible to smoothly recover theliquid 1 from the surface of the substrate P.

As explained above, the optimum liquid immersion condition (for example,the supply amount, the recovery amount, the supply position, and therecovery position) corresponding to the contact angle (affinity) of theliquid 1 for the film SP is previously determined, and the information,which relates to the optimum liquid immersion condition, is stored inthe storage unit MRY. Accordingly, the control unit CONT selects anddetermines the optimum liquid immersion condition from the plurality ofstored liquid immersion conditions on the basis of the information whichis inputted by the aid of the input unit 60 and which relates to thefilm SP of the substrate P to be subjected to the exposure process(information about the contact angle of the film SP in relation to theliquid 1). The optimum liquid supply amount, the optimum liquid recoveryamount, the optimum liquid supply position, and/or the optimum liquidrecovery position is set on the basis of the selected liquid immersioncondition as described above. The control unit CONT performs the liquidimmersion exposure for the substrate P in this state.

The liquid immersion exposure process is performed as follows. Thecontrol unit CONT uses the substrate transport system to load thesubstrate P on the substrate stage PST, and then the liquid supplymechanism 10 is driven to start the liquid supply operation forsupplying the liquid onto the substrate P. The liquid 1, which is fedfrom the first and second liquid supply sections 11, 12 of the liquidsupply mechanism 10 in order to form the liquid immersion area AR2,flows through the first and second piping systems 15, 16, and then theliquid 1 is supplied onto the substrate P via the first and secondsupply members 13, 14 to form the liquid immersion area AR2 between theprojection optical system PL and the substrate P. The supply ports 13A,14A of the first and second supply members 13, 14 are arranged on theboth sides in the X axis direction (scanning direction) of theprojection area AR1. The control unit CONT simultaneously supplies theliquid 1 onto the substrate P from the supply ports 13A, 14A.Accordingly, the liquid 1, which is supplied onto the substrate P,forms, on the substrate P, the liquid immersion area AR2 in a rangewider than at least the projection area AR1.

In this embodiment, when the liquid 1 is supplied to the substrate Pfrom the both sides in the scanning direction of the projection areaAR1, the control unit CONT controls the liquid supply operation of thefirst and second liquid supply sections 11, 12 of the liquid supplymechanism 10 so that the liquid supply amount per unit time, which is tobe supplied from the side in front of the projection area AR1 inrelation to the scanning direction, is set to be larger than the liquidsupply amount to be supplied from the side opposite thereto. Forexample, when the exposure process is performed while moving thesubstrate P in the +X direction, the control unit CONT performs thesetting so that the liquid amount from the −X side with respect to theprojection area AR1 (i.e., from the supply ports 13A) is larger than theliquid amount from the +X side (i.e., from the supply ports 14A). On theother hand, when the exposure process is performed while moving thesubstrate P in the −X direction, the control unit CONT performs thesetting so that the liquid amount from the +X side with respect to theprojection area AR1 is larger than the liquid amount from the −X side.

Further, the control unit CONT controls the first and second liquidrecovery sections 33, 34 of the liquid recovery mechanism 30 to performthe liquid recovery operation for recovering the liquid 1 from thesurface of the substrate P concurrently with the supply operation forsupplying the liquid 1 by the liquid supply mechanism 10. Accordingly,the liquid 1 on the substrate P, which flows to the outside of theprojection area AR1 from the supply ports 13A, 14A of the first andsecond supply members 13, 14, is recovered from the recovery ports 31A,32A of the first and second recovery members 33, 34. As described above,the liquid recovery mechanism 30 recovers the liquid 1 from the surfaceof the substrate P by using the recovery ports 31A, 32A provided tosurround the projection area AR1.

In this embodiment, the control unit CONT can select and determine theliquid immersion condition taking the movement condition of thesubstrate P into consideration as well. For example, when the scanningexposure is performed while moving the substrate P, if the film SP ofthe substrate P has the affinity for the liquid 1, then the liquid 1 issatisfactorily spread while causing the wetting on the substrate P, andit is possible to smoothly form the liquid immersion area AR2 bysupplying the liquid 1 from only one side in the scanning direction aswell. For example, when the liquid immersion exposure is performed whilemoving the substrate P in the +X direction, then the liquid supplymechanism 10 can supply the liquid 1 from the first supply member 13,and the liquid supply from the second supply member 14 can be stopped,or the liquid supply amount from the second supply member 14 can be madesmaller than the liquid supply amount from the first supply member 13.On the other hand, when the film SP of the substrate P has the liquidrepellence with respect to the liquid 1, the liquid immersion area AR2can be smoothly formed by supplying the liquid 1 from the both sides inthe scanning direction.

Further, the control unit CONT determines the liquid immersion conditiondepending on the velocity or the acceleration of the substrate P in theX axis direction (scanning direction). For example, when the scanningvelocity (or acceleration) of the substrate P is high, then the controlunit CONT increases the liquid supply amount for the substrate P, andthe control unit CONT increases the liquid recovery power on thesubstrate P. On the other hand, when the scanning velocity (oracceleration) of the substrate P is relatively low, the liquid immersionarea AR can be smoothly formed, even if the control unit CONT decreasesthe liquid supply amount for the substrate P, and the control unit CONTreduces the liquid recovery force on the substrate P.

When the scanning velocity (or acceleration) of the substrate P is high,the exfoliation of the liquid 1 is easily caused. Therefore, the liquidsupply mechanism 10 increases the liquid supply amount per unit time,and the supply position is set to the position far from the projectionarea AR1 of the projection optical system PL to increase the liquidimmersion area AR2. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress theoccurrence of the exfoliation of the liquid 1. Similarly, when thescanning velocity (or acceleration) of the substrate P is high, it isdifficult to recover the liquid 1 from the surface of the substrate P.Therefore, the liquid recovery force exerted by the liquid recoverymechanism 30 is increased. Further, the recovery position is set to theposition far from the projection area AR1 of the projection opticalsystem PL to recover the liquid 1 at the position at which the force ofthe flow of the liquid 1 is reduced. Thus, it is possible to smoothlyrecover the liquid 1.

Further, the control unit CONT determines the liquid immersion conditiondepending on the movement direction of the substrate P including thescanning direction (X axis direction) and the stepping movementdirection (Y axis direction) of the substrate P. For example, when thesubstrate P undergoes the stepping movement in the Y axis direction,then the liquid recovery operation performed by the liquid supplymechanism 10 is stopped, or the liquid supply amount is reduced ascompared with the situation in which the scanning exposure is performed.On the other hand, the control unit CONT is capable of making thecontrol such that the liquid recovery amount is increased for therecovery members 31, 32 arranged on the side in the Y direction withrespect to the projection area AR1, of the plurality of recovery members31, 32 arranged to surround the projection area AR1.

Further, the control unit CONT is also capable of changing the shapes ofthe liquid supply ports 13A, 14A and the shapes of the liquid recoveryports 31A, 32A as one of the liquid immersion conditions, depending onthe film SP. In this embodiment, the shutter member 42 can be driven tomake the change for the supply port or the recovery port between thewide width slit shape (substantially square shape) and the narrow widthslit shape (rectangular shape). However, for example, it is alsoallowable to select and determine various shapes, for example, such thatthe shapes of the supply port and the recovery port are circular,elliptical, or polygonal depending on the film SP.

As described above, the exposure apparatus EX of this embodiment iscapable of switching pure water as the first liquid and fluorine-basedoil as the second liquid to supply the liquid onto the substrate P. Thecontrol unit CONT changes the liquid 1 to be supplied onto the substrateP depending on the film SP of the substrate P to be subjected to theexposure process. For example, when the film SP is composed of asubstance such as an amine-based substance which is easily soluble inpure water, it is preferable that fluorine-based oil is used as theliquid 1 for the liquid immersion exposure. After the information aboutthe film SP is inputted by the aid of the input unit 60, the controlunit CONT controls the liquid supply mechanism 10 to select the liquid 1to be supplied to the substrate P. Subsequently, the control unit CONTdetermines the liquid immersion condition depending on the liquid 1 tobe used.

The storage unit MRY also stores beforehand the relationship between theaffinity between the film SP and the liquid (second liquid) 1 and theliquid immersion condition corresponding to the affinity. The controlunit CONT determines the liquid immersion condition including the liquidsupply amount, the liquid recovery amount, the liquid supply position,and the liquid recovery position depending on the substrate P (film SP)to be subjected to the exposure process.

When the liquid 1 to be supplied onto the substrate P is changeddepending on the film SP, the storage unit MRY can store the combinationof the film SP and the liquid type preferred for the film SP as well asthe liquid immersion condition adopted when the combination is used.Accordingly, when the operator for the exposure apparatus selects(inputs) the film SP, the liquid immersion condition including theliquid type is automatically determined. That is, the selection of theliquid type can be also regarded as one of the liquid immersionconditions. As for the film SP, it is possible to previously store, forexample, the material for the photoresist, the manufacturer, and thearticle number.

The liquid immersion condition may be changed depending on the materialcharacteristic of the liquid 1 to be supplied onto the substrate P. Forexample, when the liquid 1 is an easily volatile liquid, the liquidsupply amount per unit time is increased. Accordingly, even when theliquid 1 is easily volatile, it is possible to smoothly form the liquidimmersion area AR2. When the easily volatile liquid 1 is used, theliquid 1 is removed by the volatilization from the substrate P.Therefore, for example, it is also possible to reduce the liquidrecovery power. In other words, the control unit CONT can adjust theliquid immersion condition depending on the volatility which is includedin the material characteristic of the liquid 1 to be supplied onto thesubstrate P.

When the liquid 1 to be supplied onto the substrate P is highly viscous,for example, the force for holding the substrate P, which is exerted bythe substrate holder on the substrate P, is increased. Thus, the controlunit CONT can adjust the liquid immersion exposure condition dependingon the viscosity which is included in the material characteristic of theliquid 1. In other words, when the viscosity of the liquid 1 is high,then the substrate P is pulled by the liquid 1 due to the viscosity ofthe liquid 1 when the scanning exposure is performed, and the positionof the substrate P with respect to the substrate holder is possiblydeviated during the exposure. In this embodiment, the control unit CONTcan adjust the holding force for the substrate P exerted by thesubstrate holder depending on the viscosity of the liquid 1.Specifically, when the substrate holder has such a structure that thesubstrate P is attracted and held in vacuum by the aid of vacuumattraction holes, the vacuum attraction force, which is exerted on thesubstrate P, is increased by the control unit CONT. On the other hand,when the viscosity of the liquid 1 is low, the possibility of thedeviation of the substrate P during the scanning exposure is lowered.Therefore, taking the warpage of the substrate P into consideration, itis possible to make the control to reduce the vacuum attraction forcefor the substrate P by the control unit CONT.

Further, when the liquid 1 is changed, the specific heat of the liquid 1is changed as well. Therefore, it is possible, for example, to controlthe inclination and the focus position of the substrate P, and/or toadjust the light amount of the exposure light beam EL by considering thechange of the refractive index of the liquid 1 caused by the temperaturechange of the liquid 1. For example, it is also possible to make thecontrol for correcting the result of the focus position detection by thefocus-detecting system 4. When the affinity (contact angle) between theliquid 1 and the film SP is changed, the pressure, which is exerted onthe substrate P by the liquid 1, is also changed. Therefore, it ispossible to control the inclination and the focus position of thesubstrate P by considering the change of the pressure exerted on thesubstrate P by the liquid 1 as well.

It is considered that the image formation characteristic of the image,which is obtained via the projection optical system PL and the liquid 1,is changed when the liquid 1 is changed. In such a situation, thecontrol unit CONT drives the image formation characteristic control unit3 on the basis of the material characteristic and the opticalcharacteristic of the liquid 1 previously stored in the storage unitMRY. Accordingly, it is possible to correct the change of the imageformation characteristic brought about by the change of the liquid 1.Further, the control unit CONT can also adjust the surface of thesubstrate P to match the image plane position having been changed by thechange of the liquid 1, by adjusting the position in the Z axisdirection and the posture in the θX and θY directions of the substratestage PST.

The map data stored in the storage unit MRY can be updated at any time.When the substrate P having any film SP of any different type issubjected to the exposure, or when the liquid 1 of any new type is used,then the map data may be prepared, for example, by performing theexperiment for the new film SP or the liquid 1, and the map data storedin the storage unit MRY may be updated. The map data can be also updatedfrom a remote place for the exposure apparatus EX (storage unit MRY),for example, by using any communication unit including the internet.

In the embodiment described above, the liquid supply mechanism 10 iscapable of supplying the two types of the liquids depending on the filmSP. However, it is also allowable to adopt such an arrangement that onlyone type of the liquid is supplied. Alternatively, it is also allowableto adopt such an arrangement that three or more types of liquids can besupplied. In the embodiment described above, the storage unit MRY storesthe relationship between the affinity between the film SP and the liquid1 and the liquid immersion condition corresponding to the affinity.However, when the type of the film SP to be used and the type of theliquid 1 to be used are previously known, the relationship between thefilm SP and the liquid immersion condition may be stored beforehand inthe storage unit MRY to immediately determine the liquid immersioncondition from the information about the film SP selected (inputted) bythe operator or the like.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the liquid immersioncondition is determined depending on the contact angle (affinity)between the liquid 1 and the film SP, the consideration is made for themovement condition of the substrate P (for example, any one of or bothof the velocity and the acceleration of the substrate P during thescanning exposure). However, the movement condition of the substrate P(for example, any one of or both of the velocity and the acceleration ofthe substrate P during the scanning exposure) may be determineddepending on the contact angle (affinity) between the film SP and theliquid 1. For example, when the affinity of the film SP for the liquid 1is relatively high, the velocity and/or the acceleration of thesubstrate P is increased in the scanning exposure. When the affinitybetween the film SP and the liquid 1 is relatively high, the liquid 1 iseasily spread while causing the wetting on the substrate P. Therefore,even when the velocity and/or the acceleration of the substrate P isincreased, it is possible to smoothly form the liquid immersion areaAR2. On the contrary, when the affinity of the film SP for the liquid 1is relatively low, the liquid 1 is hardly spread while causing thewetting on the substrate P. Therefore, if the velocity and/or theacceleration of the substrate P is excessively increased, then theexfoliation or the like of the liquid 1 is caused, and there is such apossibility that the space between the projection optical system PL andthe substrate P cannot be sufficiently filled with the liquid 1. Whenthe affinity of the film SP for the liquid 1 is relatively low, thevelocity and/or the acceleration of the substrate P is decreased duringthe scanning exposure. Further, the movement condition of the substrateP can be also determined on the basis of the liquid immersion conditiondetermined depending on the film SP. For example, when the liquidrecovery mechanism 30 has the small liquid recovery power as determineddepending on the film SP, it is possible to avoid the exfoliation andthe leakage of the liquid 1 by decreasing the scanning velocity and theacceleration of the substrate P.

The embodiment of the present invention is constructed such that thecontact angle (affinity) between the film SP and the liquid 1 ispreviously determined, for example, by the experiment, and the liquidimmersion condition corresponding to the determined contact angle isstored in the storage unit MRY beforehand. However, the affinity betweenthe liquid 1 and the film SP formed as the liquid contact surface of thesubstrate P may be measured before the exposure process by using ameasuring unit provided for the exposure apparatus EX, and the liquidimmersion condition may be determined on the basis of the result of themeasurement.

FIGS. 6A and 6B schematically show a measuring unit 70 for measuring theaffinity between the film SP and the liquid 1. In this embodiment, themeasuring unit 70 is provided on a transport passage for the substrateP. With reference to FIG. 6A, the measuring unit 70 includes a loaderhand 71 which constructs a part of a substrate transport system, adripping section 72 which is capable of dripping the liquid droplet ofthe liquid 1 onto the substrate P held by the loader hand 71, and adetecting section 73 which is capable of detecting the liquid droplet ofthe liquid 1. The loader hand 71 loads the substrate P to be subjectedto the exposure process to the substrate stage PST. The loader hand 71has a rotary driving section 74 which rotates the loader hand 71 in theaxial direction. The loader hand 71 is rotatable in a state in which thesubstrate P is held. The driving operation of the rotary driving section74 is controlled by the control unit CONT. The detecting section 73outputs the detection signal of the liquid droplet to the control unitCONT.

When the affinity (contact angle) between the film SP and the liquid 1is measured, the liquid droplet of the liquid 1 is dripped from thedripping section 72 to the film SP of the substrate P in a state inwhich the loader hand 7 holds the substrate P horizontally. When theliquid droplet of the liquid 1 is arranged on the film SP of thesubstrate P, the held substrate P is inclined by rotating the loaderhand 71 in the direction indicated by the arrow “r” shown in FIG. 6A. Asthe substrate P is inclined, as shown in FIG. 6B, the liquid 1 fallsfrom the surface of the substrate P (film SP) as if the liquid 1 rolls.The fallen liquid 1 is detected by the detecting section 73. Thedetection signal is outputted to the control unit CONT. The control unitCONT determines the angle of inclination (rolling angle) θ of thesubstrate P at this time from the driving amount of the rotary drivingsection 74. The rolling angle θ is the angle at which the liquid dropletof the liquid 1 on the surface of the film SP of the substrate P rollsand falls when the substrate P is inclined with respect to thehorizontal plane. The rolling angle θ corresponds to the contact angleof the liquid 1 with respect to the film SP. For example, when therolling angle θ is small, then the film SP has the liquid repellencewith respect to the liquid 1, and the contact angle is large. Therefore,when the rolling angle θ is determined, it is possible to determine thecontact angle of the liquid 1 with respect to the film SP. The controlunit CONT sets the liquid immersion condition on the basis of thecontact angle measured by the measuring unit 70 to perform the liquidimmersion exposure for the substrate P loaded on the substrate stage PSTby the loader hand 71.

In the embodiment of the present invention, as explained with referenceto FIG. 3, the slide mechanism is provided for each of the supplymembers 13, 14 and the recovery members 31, 32 to change the liquidsupply position and the liquid recovery position by driving the slidemechanism. However, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the followingarrangement is also available. That is, parts of the supply member andthe recovery member are constructed with flexible tubes 80. As shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B, the supply position and the recovery position arechanged by bending the tubes 80.

The exposure apparatus EX of the embodiment described above is capableof switching and using pure water and fluorine-based oil as the liquid1. Pure water is advantageous in that pure water is available in a largeamount with ease, for example, in the semiconductor production factory,and pure water exerts no harmful influence, for example, on the opticalelement (lens) and the photoresist of the substrate P. Further, purewater exerts no harmful influence on the environment, and the content ofimpurity is extremely low. Therefore, it is also expected to obtain thefunction to wash the surface of the substrate P and the surface of theoptical element provided at the end surface of the projection opticalsystem PL.

It is approved that the refractive index n of pure water (water) withrespect to the exposure light beam EL having a wavelength of about 193nm is approximately in an extent of 1.44. When the ArF excimer laserbeam (wavelength: 193 nm) is used as the light source of the exposurelight beam EL, then the wavelength is shortened on the substrate P by1/n, i.e., to about 134 nm, and a high resolution is obtained. Further,the depth of focus is magnified about n times, i.e., about 1.44 times ascompared with the value obtained in the air. Therefore, when it isenough to secure an approximately equivalent depth of focus as comparedwith the case of the use in the air, it is possible to further increasethe numerical aperture of the projection optical system PL. Also in thisviewpoint, the resolution is improved.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the optical element 2 isattached to the end portion of the projection optical system PL. Thelens can be used to adjust the optical characteristics of the projectionoptical system PL, including, for example, the aberration (for example,spherical aberration and comatic aberration). The optical element 2,which is attached to the end portion of the projection optical systemPL, may be an optical plate usable to adjust the optical characteristicof the projection optical system PL. Alternatively, the optical element2 may be a plane parallel plate through which the exposure light beam ELis transmissive. When the optical element 2 to make contact with theliquid 1 is the plane parallel plate which is cheaper than the lens, itis enough that the plane parallel plate is merely exchanged immediatelybefore supplying the liquid 1 even when any substance (for example, anysilicon-based organic matter), which deteriorates the transmittance ofthe projection optical system PL, the illuminance of the exposure lightbeam EL on the substrate P, and the uniformity of the illuminancedistribution, is adhered to the plane parallel plate, for example,during the transport, the assembling, and/or the adjustment of theexposure apparatus EX. An advantage is obtained such that the exchangecost is lowered as compared with the case in which the optical elementto make contact with the liquid 1 is the lens. That is, the surface ofthe optical element to make contact with the liquid 1 is dirtied, forexample, due to the adhesion of scattered particles generated from theresist by being irradiated with the exposure light beam EL or anyadhered impurity contained in the liquid 1. Therefore, it is necessaryto periodically exchange the optical element. However, when the opticalelement is the cheap plane parallel plate, then the cost of the exchangepart is low as compared with the lens, and it is possible to shorten thetime required for the exchange. Thus, it is possible to suppress theincrease in the maintenance cost (running cost) and the decrease in thethroughput.

When the pressure, which is generated by the flow of the liquid 1, islarge between the substrate P and the optical element disposed at theend portion of the projection optical system PL, it is also allowablethat the optical element is tightly fixed so that the optical element isnot moved by the pressure, rather than allowing the optical element tobe exchangeable.

The embodiment of the present invention is constructed such that thespace between the projection optical system PL and the surface of thesubstrate P is filled with the liquid 1. However, for example, anotherarrangement may be adopted such that the space is filled with the liquid1 in a state in which a cover glass constructed of a plane parallelplate is attached to the surface of the substrate P.

On the other hand, for example, when the light source of the exposurelight beam EL is the F₂ laser, the F₂ laser beam is not transmittedthrough water. Therefore, in this case, those preferably usable as theliquid 1 may include, for example, a fluorine-based fluid such asfluorine-based oil as described above through which the F₂ laser beam istransmissive. In this case, the portion to make contact with the liquid1 is subjected to the liquid-attracting treatment by forming a thinfilm, for example, with a substance having a molecular structure ofsmall polarity including fluorine. Alternatively, other than the above,it is also possible to use, as the liquid 1, those (for example, cedaroil) which have the transmittance with respect to the exposure lightbeam EL, which have the refractive index as high as possible, and whichare stable against the photoresist coated on the surface of thesubstrate P and the projection optical system PL. Also in this case, thesurface treatment is performed depending on the polarity of the liquid 1to be used.

The substrate P, which is usable in the respective embodiments describedabove, is not limited to the semiconductor wafer for producing thesemiconductor device. Those applicable include, for example, the glasssubstrate for the display device, the ceramic wafer for the thin filmmagnetic head, and the master plate (synthetic quartz, silicon wafer)for the mask or the reticle to be used for the exposure apparatus.

As for the exposure apparatus EX, the present invention is alsoapplicable to the scanning type exposure apparatus (scanning stepper)based on the step-and-scan system for performing the scanning exposurefor the pattern of the mask M by synchronously moving the mask M and thesubstrate P as well as the projection exposure apparatus (stepper) basedon the step-and-repeat system for performing the full field exposure forthe pattern of the mask M in a state in which the mask M and thesubstrate P are allowed to stand still, while successively step-movingthe substrate P. The present invention is also applicable to theexposure apparatus based on the step-and-stitch system in which at leasttwo patterns are partially overlaid and transferred on the substrate P.

The present invention is also applicable to a twin-stage type exposureapparatus. The structure and the exposure operation of the twin-stagetype exposure apparatus are disclosed, for example, in Japanese PatentApplication Laid-open Nos. 10-163099 and 10-214783 (corresponding toU.S. Pat. Nos. 6,341,007, 6,400,441, 6,549,269, and 6,590,634),Published Japanese Translation of PCT International Publication forPatent Application No. 2000-505958 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No.5,969,441), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,407, contents of which areincorporated herein by reference within a range of permission of thedomestic laws and ordinances of the state designated or selected in thisinternational application.

As for the type of the exposure apparatus EX, the present invention isnot limited to the exposure apparatus for the semiconductor deviceproduction apparatus for exposing the substrate P with the semiconductordevice pattern. The present invention is also widely applicable, forexample, to the exposure apparatus for producing the liquid crystaldisplay device or for producing the display as well as the exposureapparatus for producing, for example, the thin film magnetic head, theimage pickup device (CCD), the reticle, or the mask.

When the linear motor is used for the substrate stage PST and/or themask stage MST, it is allowable to use any one of those of the airfloating type based on the use of the air bearing and those of themagnetic floating type based on the use of the Lorentz's force or thereactance force. Each of the stages PST, MST may be either of the typein which the movement is effected along the guide or of the guidelesstype in which no guide is provided. An example of the use of the linearmotor for the stage is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,623,853 and5,528,118, contents of which are incorporated herein by reference withina range of permission of the domestic laws and ordinances of the statedesignated or selected in this international application.

As for the driving mechanism for each of the stages PST, MST, it is alsoallowable to use a plane motor in which a magnet unit provided withtwo-dimensionally arranged magnets and an armature unit provided withtwo-dimensionally arranged coils are opposed to one another, and each ofthe stages PST, MST is driven by the electromagnetic force. In thisarrangement, any one of the magnet unit and the armature unit isconnected to the stage PST, MST, and the other of the magnet unit andthe armature unit is provided on the side of the movable surface of thestage PST, MST.

The reaction force, which is generated in accordance with the movementof the substrate stage PST, may be mechanically released to the floor(ground) by using a frame member so that the reaction force is nottransmitted to the projection optical system PL. The method for handlingthe reaction force is disclosed in detail, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.5,528,118 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-166475), contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference within a range ofpermission of the domestic laws and ordinances of the state designatedor selected in this international application.

The reaction force, which is generated in accordance with the movementof the mask stage MST, may be mechanically released to the floor(ground) by using a frame member so that the reaction force is nottransmitted to the projection optical system PL. The method for handlingthe reaction force is disclosed in detail, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.5,874,820 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-330224), contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference within a range ofpermission of the domestic laws and ordinances of the state designatedor selected in this international application.

As described above, the exposure apparatus EX according to theembodiment of the present invention is produced by assembling thevarious subsystems including the respective constitutive elements asdefined in claims so that the predetermined mechanical accuracy, theelectric accuracy, and the optical accuracy are maintained. In order tosecure the various accuracies, those performed before and after theassembling include the adjustment for achieving the optical accuracy forthe various optical systems, the adjustment for achieving the mechanicalaccuracy for the various mechanical systems, and the adjustment forachieving the electric accuracy for the various electric systems. Thesteps of assembling the various subsystems into the exposure apparatusinclude, for example, the mechanical connection, the wiring connectionof the electric circuits, and the piping connection of the air pressurecircuits in correlation with the various subsystems. It goes withoutsaying that the steps of assembling the respective individual subsystemsare performed before performing the steps of assembling the varioussubsystems into the exposure apparatus. When the steps of assembling thevarious subsystems into the exposure apparatus are completed, theoverall adjustment is performed to secure the various accuracies as theentire exposure apparatus. It is desirable that the exposure apparatusis produced in a clean room in which, for example, the temperature andthe cleanness are managed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the microdevice such as the semiconductor device isproduced by performing, for example, a step 201 of designing thefunction and the performance of the microdevice, a step 202 ofmanufacturing a mask (reticle) based on the designing step, a step 203of producing a substrate as a base material for the device, an exposureprocess step 204 of exposing the substrate with a pattern of the mask byusing the exposure apparatus EX of the embodiment described above, astep 205 of assembling the device (including a dicing step, a bondingstep, and a packaging step), and an inspection step 206.

According to the present invention, the liquid immersion condition,under which the substrate is dealt with, is determined depending on thefilm formed as the liquid contact surface of the substrate. Accordingly,the liquid immersion exposure process can be smoothly performed for aplurality of substrates provided with films of different types. It ispossible to possess the high versatility. In particular, the presentinvention contributes to the high throughput production of the highlyintegrated device by quickly switching the liquid immersion condition inthe production line for performing the exposure process for a variety ofdifferent objectives including, for example, the semiconductor deviceand the liquid crystal display device.

What is claimed is:
 1. A liquid immersion exposure apparatus in which asubstrate is exposed with an exposure beam, the apparatus comprising: aprojection optical system by which the substrate is exposed to theexposure beam; a first inlet disposed at a first position, which iscapable of supplying a first liquid to a space adjacent to a bottomsurface of the projection optical system; and a second inlet disposed ata second position which is different from the first position, the secondinlet being capable of supplying a second liquid that is different fromthe first liquid to the space, the second liquid having a differentcomposition from that of the first liquid, wherein the first inlet andthe second inlet are configured to supply the first, liquid and thesecond liquid, respectively, to the same space that is a contiguousspace between the projection optical system and the substrate.
 2. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is exposed withthe exposure beam through the first liquid.
 3. The apparatus accordingto claim 2, wherein the first inlet is located adjacent to theprojection optical system so as to supply the first liquid between theprojection optical system and the substrate during an exposureoperation.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrateis moved relative to the first and second inlets.
 5. The apparatusaccording to claim 4, wherein the substrate is moved to a position atwhich the substrate faces the first inlet.
 6. The apparatus according toclaim 4, wherein the substrate is moved to a position at which thesubstrate faces the second inlet.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the first inlet is capable of supplying the second liquid. 8.The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second inlet is capableof supplying the first liquid.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 1,wherein one of the first and second liquids is pure water.
 10. Theapparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first liquidsupply of the first liquid selectively attached to the first inlet; anda second liquid supply of the second liquid selectively attached to thesecond inlet.
 11. A liquid immersion exposure method in which asubstrate is exposed with an exposure beam via a projection opticalsystem, the method comprising: supplying a first liquid through a firstinlet disposed at a first position to a space adjacent to a bottomsurface of the projection optical system; and supplying a second liquidthat is different from the first liquid to the space through a secondinlet disposed at a second position which is different from the firstposition, the second liquid having a different composition from that ofthe first liquid, wherein the first inlet and the second inlet areconfigured to supply the first liquid and the second liquid,respectively, to the same space that is a contiguous space between theprojection optical system and the substrate.
 12. The method according toclaim 11, wherein the substrate is exposed with the exposure beamthrough the first liquid.
 13. The method according to claim 12, whereinthe first inlet is located adjacent to the projection optical system soas to supply the first liquid between the projection optical system andthe substrate during an exposure operation.
 14. The method according toclaim 11, wherein the substrate is moved relative to the first andsecond inlets.
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein thesubstrate is moved to a position at which the substrate faces the firstinlet while the first liquid is supplied.
 16. The method according toclaim 14, wherein the substrate is moved to a position at which thesubstrate faces the second inlet while the second liquid is supplied.17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first inlet also isused to supply the second liquid.
 18. The method according to claim 11,wherein the second inlet also is used to supply the first liquid. 19.The method according to claim 11, wherein one of the first and secondliquids is pure water.
 20. The method according to claim 11, wherein:the supplying of the first liquid includes selectively attaching thefirst inlet to a first liquid supply of the first liquid; and thesupplying of the second liquid includes selectively attaching the secondinlet to a second liquid supply of the second liquid.
 21. The methodaccording to claim 11, wherein the supplying of the first liquid isperformed at a time different from a time when the supplying of thesecond liquid is performed.